On Pentecost Sunday we noted how the disciples, gathered in the Upper Room, ‘saw what seemed to be tongues of fire’ come and rest on each of them. This after nine days of prayer, from Christ’s Ascension until Pentecost. God answered their prayer with His presence. It is indeed the presence of God that we seek through prayer; God present with us and God’s presence in response to the subject of our prayers.

Solomon draws his prayer of dedication of the Temple to a close. We have identified six foundation stones upon which God’s temple is established. These are: right relationships, refusing to sin, trusting in God’s provision, offering everyone the love of God, engaging in spiritual warfare, and knowing that true freedom is the fruit of forgiveness.

Forgiveness turns the world right side up. God has always known this, and demonstrated the power of forgiveness through the life and death of Jesus. The undeserving, including us, were offered an opportunity to renew friendship with their creator.

Prayer presents a challenge and a mystery to all. It’s easy to feel discouraged with prayer. In prayer we engage in warfare in God’s name, and war disrupts all of life. God’s promises are always fiercely contested and we’re invited to enrol in the battle and to make God’s cause our cause.

In times of hardship it’s easy to look for a scapegoat; someone on whom we can lay the blame for our misdeeds. That’s the Old Testament role of the scapegoat. All too often we look for someone who looks and behaves differently. Throughout history this has led to the oppression of people on the basis of their ethnicity.

I grew up anticipating that through democratic government, the ills of the world would be addressed. Even after conversion, aged 19, I remained active in special interest initiatives. Today I find myself wondering if the energy I sincerely invested, and the resources I contributed, were the best use of my time.

Enemy’ often means an external, human threat and thoughts of physical warfare. Yet, Scripture reminds us that our greatest warfare is with sin. An unfashionable concept today, sin is anything that leads us away from God. There’s no value spectrum to measure sin against – a minor indiscretion to a major crime. Sin is simply everything, great and small, that obscures the risen Lord.

Over the next six days we’ll explore the six critical issues Solomon lay as the foundation stones on which the temple of the Holy Spirit stands. If a foundation stone falls into disrepair the stability of the whole structure is threatened. Our lives are to be established upon God’s keystone, who is Jesus.

Two questions come to mind when considering prayer. First, how can God personally engage with the individual prayers from all over the world, presented 24/7? The short answer is precisely because God is God. Some struggle with that response, indicating the limits to human understanding. 

For many, the very concept of God is unbelievable. It lies beyond our human capacity to understand. After all if it didn’t, God would be reduced to the level of our understanding. Yet God remains, all powerful, all knowledgeable and present everywhere continuously.